The media has recently
exploded with rumours of
increased expenses for residents here in Sooke.
“Shortage of firefighters could
double cost of Sooke home
insurance” screams one Island
headliner. “Fire insurance rates
could be going up over shortage
of volunteer firefighters,” shouts
a national.
Let’s address the rumoured
free-fall drop in Sooke’s residential grade.
First, the impact of this grade
adjustment will not affect all
dwellings in Sooke, as some
recent news coverage suggests.
“The perception is that it
applies to all of Sooke, and it’s
not that. It only applies to eight
kilometres out, and that starts
at about the 5200 block of Sooke
Road,” clarifies Milne. That’s
from Cooper’s Cove to about the
17 Mile House. “Everyone else is
within the eight kilometre radius
of the main fire hall.”
Further, in a news release
issued by the District of Sooke
on January 9, 2014, the District
will be “sending letters to all
property owners that may be
affected by this change in fire
rating status.” If you haven’t
heard from them, it probably
doesn’t affect you. If you think
you may have been overlooked,
give them a call at (250) 6421634.
Second, the grade shift is ten-

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tative and will not influence any
insurance providers for a while.
The grade is a set using a
Dwelling Protection Grade (DPG)
formula, which comes from the
Fire Underwriters Survey (FUS,
fireunderwriters.ca).
There are five grades in the
DPG, one being the highest
(staffed, protected) and five
being the lowest (unprotected).
According to Sooke’s fire chief
Steve Sorensen, Sooke falls
under Grade 3 (volunteer, protected — 3A — and volunteer,
semi-protected — 3B). The primary difference between and A
and B is whether or not a dwelling is within 300 metres of a recognized fire hydrant.
A bird’s eye view of Sooke’s
fire protection services includes
the main fire hall on Otter Point,
(Fire Station 1), the satellite station on Goodridge, (Fire Station
2), and a muster station (Sunriver). A fire station covers a
maximum recognized road distance perimeter of 8km, and a
satellite station extends that
coverage. A muster station
enhances response time.
The matter at hand — that
which can affect the DPG for
residences outside of the eight
kilometre travel range of Fire Station 1— is the number of fire
fighters available at Fire Station
2, the satellite station. According to correspondence from
Michael King, a Public Fire Protection Specialist from FUS, “If
the roster at Fire Station 2 cannot be maintained above the

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minimum requirements for fire
insurance grading recognition,
Fire Station 2 will no longer have
a recognized response level and
a Dwelling Protection Grade 5
(unprotected) would apply.”
The main minimum requirement stipulated by FUS is the
number of available fire fighters. “An absolute minimum roster strength of 10 members is
required.”
As explained in the previously
mentioned news release, this
grade change will not happen
right away: “Fire Underwriters
Survey has given the District of
Sooke a one year grace period to
come up with a long term solution to the staffing problem.”
Keep in mind that not all insurers use the FUS grading system.
As Fire Chief Steve Sorensen
explains it, once the base insurance rate is set, “most insurance
companies will give you a discount based on the level of protection you had. … That varies
by insurance company,” he continued.
Eventually, if the number of
qualified volunteers does not
hit the minimum of 10 within
a year and depending on your
insurance provider, the value
and condition of your home, and
where you are geographically
located in Sooke, your insurance
cost might rise. Somewhat.
Third, the increase will not be
as drastic as suggested.
The increase that Sorensen

Up
Sooke
Drivers
neeDeD
Meals on Wheels is
in need of volunteer
drivers for Monday,
Wednesday or Friday
IF you can spare a few
hours per month,
Meals on Wheels
could use you.
Meals on Wheels
provides healthy
home-cooked meals
to seniors and those
who are house-bound.
IF you can assist, call
alma at 250-6422184.

LocaL
artist
showing

sooke artIst lIsa
riehl has an
exhibition of her
recent works at the
eclectic Gallery on
oak Bay avenue in
Victoria.
rIehl Is lIsted as one
of three women to
watch, and the gallery
states, “lisa riehl
fragments the image
into points of light.”

robbie
burns

tWo roBBIe Burns
events celebrating
scotland’s famed
bard are taking place
this weekend. the
robbie Burns dinner
at the legion takes
place on sunday, and
the celtic concert on
saturday in shirley.

Thumbs
Up
to all those people
who happily answer
our weekly question
of the week.

Britt Santowski photo

a gaggle of unordinary geese
This greater white-fronted goose, along with its gaggle, was spotted on the
grounds of Ayre Manor on Monday, January 20. According to AllAboutBirds.
org, they have one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world.
They breed across the tundra, from nunavut to siberia, across russian and in
Greenland, and now, at Ayre Manor.

Items on the agenda
from the January 13
council meeting:
It was recommended
that
Development
and Variance Permit
Amendments as well as
Shared Easements for
properties owned by
Prestige Hotel and the
District of Sooke go to
the Committee of the
Whole for discussion
prior to coming before
council.
The permits were for
the purpose of amending the design of the
public boat launch,
amending the heights
of the Prestige Hotel
as well as amending
the required parking
spaces from 101 to 95
space for the hotel and
from 19 to 29 spaces
for truck/trailer park-

ing spaces. The shared
easement between the
district and the hotel
needs to be approved
and registered at the
Victoria Land Titles
Office.
The District of Sooke
will write a letter to
the Vancouver Island
Regional Library indicating that the district would like them
to pursue the Request
for Proposal approach
to obtaining a site for
a new library which
would also contain a
seniors/youth centre
space.
The mayor is authorized to bring forward
a request to the CRD
board when required
for the necessary borrowing model for a new
library for Sooke. The

district does not have
any pieces of property
which would be appropriate for a library. The
approach of issuing
a RFP is the preferred
choice of the district
and Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Direct Mike
Hicks supports this
approach.
Councillor Kerrie
Reay is appointed to
the Land Use and Environment. Coun. Herb
Haldane resigned as did
Adrian Cownden. The
district is now seeking a public volunteer
member for that committee. The purpose of
the committee is to provide recommendations
to council regarding
matters related to planning, zoning and affordable housing.

now who are looking
for a career in the fire
fighting service, and if
they can get some volunteer time, it looks
really good on their
resume. So it’s a stepping stone to a job.”
Sorensen suggested
the biggest motivator
was that “you’re part of
a very close-knit group
that’s very supportive
of each other. It’s almost
as if you’re building
another family.”
The training is an
incentive. Volunteers

receive skills training
in fire and rescue procedures, including First
Aid and CPR. There’s
also the possibility of
enhancing your driver’s
license to a professional
driver status with air
brake endorsement.
The rewards are tremendous too. There
are perks associated
with becoming a part of
the fire fighting community, and include a number of social events and
activities that extend to
spouses and children.

Life insurance is also
provided.
The biggest reward,
finds Sorensen, comes
from the biggest gift
one can give. “It is
pretty awesome when
someone walks into the
fire hall to say thank
you for saving their
life.”
For information on
becoming a volunteer
fire fighter, you can visit
the Sooke.ca website.
Or, call the district, at
(250) 642-1634.

Fire insurance rate hikes unlikely in sooke
Cont’d from page 1
provided in other
reports was hypothetical, he said, looking at
one house (his) going
from a protected (3A)
to an unprotected (5).
It also assumed a certain home value and a
specific insurance provider.
The story seems to
have gotten completely
out of hand.
“I was the guy who
did the final authorization,” added mayor
Milne. “The buck stops
with me. … If I created
any unnecessary concern amongst citizens, I
apologize for that.”
Hopefully, with this
clarification from Milne,
Sorensen and FUS,
some of that fog has
lifted.
For a full forecast
of sun, what is really
needed are some new
volunteers.
“Our hope through
all of this is that we can
pick up a small group
of people that might
be available,” said
Sorensen. “If we can

pick up a small contingent more, then we
can show Fire Underwriter, ‘Look, we now
have four people who
will show up day time,
night time, any time.’ “
Since the initial FUS
feedback, three new
recruits have already
signed up. “We’ve filled
the number void,” said
Sorenson, “We just now
have to try and find
some daytime people.
I would like to have 15
guys, not 11.” His ultimate objective is to be
able to set off a daytime pager on the rare
occasion that there is
a significant event, and
have four people from
Fire Station 2 and six
people from Fire Station 1 respond. With 10
fire fighters, Sorensen
speculates, “we can
pretty well manage
most things.”
There are a number
of measurable benefits
that can be derived
from getting involved
in this particular line
of work. According
to both Milne and
Sorensen, volunteers
get 66 hours of depart-

ment-funded training.
Combined with the
calls, volunteers are
actively engaged for at
least 100 hours a year.
“There’s a lot of reasons that people volunteer,” begins Sorensen.
“They want to be part
of the community, they
may be new to the community, and it’s a good
way to meet new people. It’s exciting. So if
you’re kind of an adrenaline junkie there’s that
aspect. We are having
a lot of people joining

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I have seen 3 owls this
month. One actually flew into
the side of my car one night.
I turned my car around, got
out and watched it (along
with another lady) as the owl
tried to get its bearing. It took
approximately 5 minutes. It
was gorgeous. We are so
lucky to live here. We are
surrounded by spectacular
wildlife and sometimes we
are lucky enough to get a
close look at it.

Buying or Selling
call me!

Living Sooke...
Loving Sooke...
Selling Sooke!
250.642.6361

www.sookelistings.com

E X P I R E D M E D I C AT I O N

Ron Kumar

Pharmacist/Owner

Once or twice a year, make a habit to go through your
medicine cabinet and check for any outdated medications. Most
medications become less effective after the suggested expiration
date, however there are a few that may become toxic. Also it
is a good idea not to take any prescription medication that
was prescribed long ago ... they may interact with medications
that you may be using now. Remember to thlnk about the
environment when disposing expired medication.... do not
flush them down the sink or toilet. Tablets, capsules, and
most liquids can be taken to your pharmacy to be destroyed
properly. Make sure to take any tablets or capsules out of
blisters before bringing them to the pharmacy... this helps with
the disposal process.

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4•

www.sookenewsmirror.com

Wednesday, JANUARY 22, 2014 - SOOKE NEWS MIRROR

He thinkks they’re chatting abou
ut the hospitall jello.
His nurse is actually midwaay through dozens of assessmeents.
During the minutes spent at the bedside, a professional
nurse makes dozens of critical assessments. Any one
of them could mean the difference between recovery
and something that could result in tragedy.
Take direct patient care away from nurses and
vital knowledge affecting the health of patients is lost.

B.C. should be increasing the number of nurses,
not replacing them with care aides.
Ensuring nurses remain in direct contact with
patients is crucial to you and your loved ones.
While they may not be specialists in jello, when it comes
to safe patient care, professional nurses are irreplaceable.

Sooke mayor talks about year ahead
2014 the year
ahead...
This council is heading into
the final year of our mandate.
We will continue our priority
of fiscal responsibility maintaining a property tax increase
of 2 per cent or less for 2014,
striving towards long term
sustainability while still providing infrastructure improvements. Each decision we make
will take into consideration
the ability of the taxpayers to
fund initiatives and the overall benefits that come to the
community as a result of the
decision.
The Transportation Master
Plan identified the lack of eastwest connectivity on both the
north and south side of Sooke
Road and consequently council is proceeding with network
improvements that include
the creation of a new road (yet
to be named) between Church
Road and Otter Point Road to
be completed by August 2014.
The connector road project
will ease congestion through
the downtown core and
include a three-metre paved
multi-use trail for pedestrians

Mayor Wendal Milne

File photo

and cyclists. The multi-use
trail on Church Road from
the connector road to Throup
Road has already been completed and will be paved in
early 2014. Tree clearing for
the connector road right of
way is in progress.
The Transportation Master Plan also proposed intersection improvements for
Sooke Road at Evergreen Mall
exit to what has been called
Waterview (yet to be named)
in the form of a roundabout.
Properly designed and implemented roundabouts operate

safer than conventional intersections (signals, two and four
way stops) due to reduced
speeds and significantly lower
conflict points. We have spent
the first part of our term
assembling property, focusing on transportation flow
and improvements in the core
area. This project will include
sidewalk enhancements.
Council is working with
the community to establish
design guidelines for building in the core area. Input is
currently being sought from
the Arts Advisory Panel and
the Sooke Region Chamber of
Commerce with further public
input planned.
This Council is committed
to helping seniors and youth.
Sooke is currently at the top of
the Vancouver Island Regional
Library list for a new library. It
is anticipated that the library
will put out a request for
proposals this year. We will
be working with the library
to look options to include a
multi-use (seniors, youth) proponent to this building.
A healthy community is
a priority. Aging in the community is important to coun-

Targeted home invasion
likely personal in nature

Shortly after 11 p.m. on January 15, 2014, Sooke RCMP responded to a
report of a home invasion at a residence in 2200 block of Ayum Road in Sooke,
B.C.
Preliminary information indicates that three men forced their way into the
residence, where they confronted the two adult men who were home at the
time. The residents sustained minor injuries during a struggle that ensued. A
short time later, the suspects reportedly fled the residence on foot.
Multiple RCMP officers responded to the scene, along with a police service
dog team. The dog team began a track of the suspects, which ended abruptly
a short distance from the house. This has led investigators to conclude that
the suspects entered a vehicle, and departed the area.
Minimal descriptive details are available at this time. Two of the men were
reportedly wearing black coloured hooded sweatshirts, while the third wore
a dark coloured shirt. While a motive is not yet clear, investigators suspect
this was a targeted event, (which may have been personal in nature). The
Sooke RCMP, with assistance from the Island District RCMP General Investigation Section (GIS) continue to actively investigate this incident.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Sooke RCMP
at 250-642-5241, or anonymously through Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS
(8477).

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Bathrooms featuring stunning views with abundant natural light from the sky over the city
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you will have the home of your dreams. Call
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Allan Poole

cil. We are currently working
with the Sooke Elderly Housing Society (Ayre Manor) and
Vancouver Island Health to
increase their space. In addition, I will be chairing a committee (Primary Health Care,
working group) to look at
ways to enhance the provision of medical services in the
district.
Council will continue our
work with the chamber, the
Sooke Region Tourism Association, and the Mayor’s Panel
on Economic Development
to find ways to stimulate economic activity in the area. We
will work in a more proactive way with the Community
Health Initiative (CHI) who
will replace the Mayor’s Panel
on Social Issues. The Mayor’s
Panel on Arts and Beautification will play a key role in
promoting the arts as well as
enhancements to beautification in the community.
We look forward to an exciting 2014.
Wendal Milne
Mayor

JOHN VERNON
“To my delight (although our property languished, unsold by the
B.A., C.H.A.
previous realtor) you sold it in six weeks. When Og Mandino, in one of his
many books gave the advice to “go the extra mile”, he must have been thinking of people
like you. Because of your hard work you made my life easier, and for that I thank you (and my
father does too). Bless you,and may you always go that extra mile!” D. Hamilton

Call John today for THOROUGH, COURTEOUS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE and
PROVEN RESULTS. - ALWAYS.

camosun westside

250-642-5050
www.johnvernon.com

email: John@JohnVernon.com

*Victoria Real Estate Board MLS

Coffee House &
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The boss is STILL away...
M-Fri 6-6 • Sa/Su 7:30-6
Up Otter Point Rd. left on Eustace
www.stickinthemud.ca @thesticksooke 250-642-5635

Take Your Sweetie

toTahiti

From the Gertsma family
We would like thank everyone for
their well wishes, cards, flowers,
donations to Sooke Hospice and the
United Church of Canada on the
passing of our mom.

or Mexico,
Las Vegas, Hawaii...

The Possibilities are Endless!
Book the flights or a gift certificate.

We would like to say a special
Thanks to Dr. Forsberg, Jean of
Sooke Hospice, Mary of Beacon
Home Care and the Nurses of VIHA
Community Home Support.

Original show home for the Stonewood plan at Sunriver
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Perfect property for horses with 2.5 acres of flat useable land with large Barn, fenced paddocks & fields.
Plenty of room for your hobby farm & gardens, this is
your opportunity to make it your own PRIVATE country
paradise! The home is over 1800sqft with 3BR, den
(could be 4th BR), and 2BA. New roof & new deep well
pump, pressure system and Ultra Violet Filter System
$434,900 MLS® 327104
(2010). A rare find!

This 3BR, 2BA home is on a .24 acre lot on a family
friendly cul-de-sac in the Whiffen Spit area. An open
room concept with vaulted ceilings, skylights, and a
large sunny Kitchen. Family room, Bedroom, and 4pc
bath in the finished walk-out basement. Fenced with a
huge level yard, established flower & vegetable gardens, plus fruit bearing trees, and a hot tub. Lots of
room for your boat or RV. School bus pick up and drop
off only 3 houses away.
$349,900 MLS® 331527

Sun
powered
trike
Rick Small, right, and
Dick Momsen talk about
Small’s solar powered
tricycle. Small was in
Sooke on Friday and is
travelling throughout
the area.

Pirjo Raits

Sooke News Mirror

He has pedalled
across the country
from Thunder Bay,
Ontario to create
awareness on the wonders of soiar power for
transportation.
Rick Small calls it
a “solar school on
wheels” and he has
been telling people
about his rig. He made
the tricycle as a mode
of
transportation
because he didn’t want
a car. It is also a cargo

hauler and a home.
He often sleeps in the
cargo hauler and said
it was good to -30. He
thinks it could be a
good solution for the
homeless or those who
don’t want to own anything. Small has travelled 7,400 kms and
has never plugged into
a wall outlet. He said
he crossed the Rockies in it and the solar
power allowed the trike
to carry himself and
another 200 pounds.
He’s been on the
road for six months
and said, “it’s fun.” He

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figures two to three million people have seen
his solar powered trycicle and hopes that one
day everyone would
have one.
“You’re looking at

an industry waiting to
happen,” said Small.
“Can you imagine six
billionpeople using this
around the world?”

Capital Regional District

Your Participation Is Wanted
Notice of

East Sooke Official Community
Plan Review
Public Event #1 - Open House & Community Mapping
East Sooke Fire Hall
1397 Coppermine Road, East Sooke, BC
January 25, 2014 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Lunch provided from 12 noon to 1 p.m.

Notice of

Shirley/Jordan River
Official Community Plan Review
Public Event #1 - Open House & Community Mapping
Shirley Community Hall
2795 Sheringham Point Road, Shirley, BC
January 26, 2014 from 1 to 4 p.m.
Lunch provided from 12 noon to 1 p.m.
The Official Community Plans for East Sooke and Shirley/
Jordan River are being updated. You are invited to our
first public event which features a Community Mapping
Exercise and other interactive displays. Take advantage
of this early opportunity to offer your comments
and tell us what you think is important about these
communities. Members of the local Citizens’ Committee
and staff will be on hand. To learn more about these
events, to add your email to our contact list or to submit
comments as part of the OCP Review process, please
contact the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area Services Office
by email jdfinfo@crd.bc.ca or calling Tracy Olsen at
250.642.8107.

Need help with
government services
for children, youth
or young adults?

Want to know
your rights?
Moving from
youth to
adult services?

Feel like you are being
treated unfairly
or not being heard?

A New Mandate

In government
care or
in custody?

We can help

www.rcybc.ca

The Representative is now able
to provide advocacy for young
adults (up to age 24) who have
developmental disabilities and are
eligible for CLBC services. If we can
assist you or someone you care for,
contact the Rep:

1-800-476-3933

The Pastor's Pen
2.6”
What does4.3”
it xmean
to be rich –
Created for: Representative for Children and Youth
in money? in joy?

Once I had children,
I found myself wanting 10% more
Reber Creative
250.383.5255
money to solve our financial worries, if not aspirations.
It is no surprise that even when I got the 10% extra, the same feeling
was soon back. A hugely competent and respected CEO worth $20
million broke the securities law because there were some others worth
$200 million.
When I am joyous with other people, the experience fulfills
me. Another 10% or 1,000% is meaningless.
Traditional Christian teachings recognize seven vices, and
seven virtues. Greed and envy are two of the vices. There is
excitement when we pursue the vices, but no peace.
Patience and kindness are two of the traditional virtues.
Like joy, they are complete in themselves. There is peace
within us, and ironically often excitement too, when we
pursue the virtues.
Ask yourself gently – how much of your energy
and time is focused on vices? on virtues? Answer the
question compassionately. May we all live wisely and
well.

On a hopeful sunny
Friday, January 17 starting at noon, the Sooke
Region Community
Health Initiative met
with a range of people
from throughout the
greater Sooke area. The
objective of the meeting was to solicit input
from the community to
obtain input on needs
and wants. This input
would be used to help
determine their future
priorities.
The event was well
attended, with close to
40 in the room, providing for broad range representation. Included
were politicians (MLA
John Horgan and mayor
Wendal Milne), First
Nations (from T’Sou-ke,
Beecher Bay and Port
Renfrew), community
living resources people
(hospice, community
living, seniors’ housing and crisis centre),
along with a range of
representation from
the Integrated Health
Network. Friends of CHI
— coined as CHI/CASA
groupies by one person
— were also present,
coming from throughout the region.
The event began
with an introduction by
Mitzi Dean, the Executive Director of the
Pacific Centre Family
Services Association,
and was followed by a

Britt Santowski photo

Mitzi Dean, Executive Director of the Pacific Centre
Family Services Association, welcomes close to 40
people to their information-seeking session.
statement of purpose
provided by Dr. Ellen
Anderson.
The
heart
of
Anderson’s message
addressed the power of
collaboration that was
achieved when CHI was
first conceptualized in
2002, Anderson noted
that it was the start of
some vey powerful collaboration.
“We really got everyone together at the
same table,” she said,
noting the overall benefit was that “we were
smarter and had more
influence when we
worked together.”
The groups was then
invited to circulate
among the 10 tables,
and engage in conversation. Topics included
the program’s history
and timeline, membership and strategic

working session ended
with summaries. Much
value was derived from
the learning process
and the networking,
though the absence of
youth at the event was
noted. The average age
of those present was
probably over 50, with
only one or two in the
room in their early 20s.
The Sooke Region
Community Health Initiative is the result of
a recent amalgamation
of the group formerly
known as CHI and
Sooke Co-operative
Association of Service
Agencies (CASA).
CHI meets monthly
on the first Tuesday,
from 9:30-11 a.m. alternating between two
locations, the Sooke
Child, Youth & Family
Centre (2145 Townsend
Rd) and the T’Sou-Ke
Nation Health Office
(Lazzar Road).
Email:
sookeregionvc@gmail.com for
more information.

An idyllic vacation home on a private walk-on beach
just steps away from the trail to French Beach. This
west coast style home was renovated to create
3 separate bedrooms with baths that functions
beautifully as a vacation rental or comfortable
home. Relax in front of a wood burning fireplace
while gazing out of the expansive windows to the
delights beyond. Expansive decks for watching the
sun set over the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

If you are interested in volunteering, please submit
a completed Appointment Application form available
at the District of Sooke Municipal Hall or at www.
sooke.ca by 4:30 pm, Monday, February 3, 2014 to:

Applications are invited from Sooke residents or
business owners interested in serving on the District
of Sooke Land Use and Environment Committee.
Volunteer members on the Committee assist Council
with making decisions by making recommendations
on land development and environmental issues.

Is any publicity
good publicity?
Fire insurance, you have to have it if you have a
mortgage. It’s expensive for many homeowners, but
you have to consider what you would do if your
home was destroyed by fire. The threat of fire is
pretty small in Sooke.
The recent press release on potential fire
insurance rate increases sent out by Fire Chief
Sorensen and Mayor Wendal Milne was illconceived and put a lot of stress on some
homeowners. Poorly worded - yes, misinformation
- yes, fear mongering - unlikely.
Some of the media took this and ran with the
story as though it was fait accompli and trumpeted
the sad tale on their pages. Rumours ran rampant
through Sooke and people were up in arms.
The mayor has taken responsibility for the press
release and the ensuing commotion. The fire chief
has tried to smooth the ruffled feathers and explain
what he really meant. Basically what went wrong
is a few words were scooped up by the press and
they ran with it. The situation is that Sooke needs
more volunteer fire fighters, just like every other
community in the country. Sooke is different than
some municipalities in that we are a bedroom
community and most who could volunteer or
would like to work out of Sooke and commute. To
say that employers would be reluctant to allow
an employee to respond to a fire is asinine. Most
employers in Sooke and elsewhere would be proud
to have a volunteer fire fighter on their staff - or
they should be.
It appears this mess has created a surge in
interest in volunteering as a fire fighter. So there is
some good that has come from a big mess. It’s just
too bad that Sooke had to look bad in the process
and residents had to worry about escalating
costs for fire insurance before explanations
were forthcoming. Maybe the district needs a
communications officer?

Old man take a look at your facts
B.C. Views
Neil Young’s anti-oil sands concert tour was the perfect distillation
of the American enviro-assault on
its dependent northern neighbour
that’s been going on for a decade
or more.
After touring Fort McMurray in
his electric car with actor-turnedprotester Daryl Hannah, the 68-yearold Young covered all the big propaganda hits and added his own fantasy facts.
It looks like a war zone up there!
Hiroshima! If it keeps going it will
be like the Moon! There’s no reclamation! Tar sands oil is all going to
China, and that’s why their air is so
bad!
All of those statements are false.
And then Young dropped his
own nuclear bomb, claiming cancer
rates in Fort Chipewyan are 30 per
cent higher than, well, somewhere
else. Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation has
cited a discredited study by former
community doctor John O’Connor
to press the same claim.
The College of Physicians and
Surgeons of Alberta reviewed
O’Connor’s claims in 2009. It concluded that “Dr. O’Connor made a
number of inaccurate or untruthful claims” about cancer patients,
and then refused to provide patient
information after his claims made
international news.
Retired professor David Schindler
toured with Young and continued

to push the health scare, referring
darkly to newer research showing
increased mercury and PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) contamination.
When you peel back the propaganda and journalistic hype, these
studies mainly reveal that such toxins are on the rise, but are found
in much higher concentrations
around large cities where fuel is consumed. The cancer claims were then
debunked by a Royal Society of Canada expert panel in 2010.
This cancer scare is the most
damaging and dishonest part of the
selective attack on Alberta. The oil
industry, politicians and most of the
media seem unwilling to examine it
critically.
Climate scientist-turned-politician
Andrew Weaver was at Young’s
Toronto news conference. He says
there were no questions for him,
Adam or Young’s other validator, David Suzuki, who previously
worked with Schindler on a slanted
oilsands documentary for the CBC.
Weaver calculates that Young’s
claim about greenhouse gas emissions is substantially correct, if you
include emissions from the finished
fuels. Weaver refused any comment
on the cancer claims.
Young included the obligatory
sneering comparison between Stephen Harper and George W. Bush,
which is another sign he’s lived
in California too long. He seemed
unaware that the NDP’s Thomas
Mulcair and Liberal leader Justin

Trudeau support continued oilsands development.
As for moonscapes, Young could
have driven his famous electric Lincoln from his Redwood City mansion on a hill to nearby Bakersfield,
to view the greasy expanses of
closely packed pumpjacks reaching
to the horizon, still expanding due
to hydraulic fracturing.
Young could have visited North
Dakota, where the second shale oil
train explosion luckily didn’t kill
anyone. It seems there will be no
remake of Young’s classic Kent State
lament dedicated to 47 Dead in Old
Quebec. That’s American oil, so no
protests.
Chief Adam was frank in an interview on CTV about using the “Honour the Treaties” tour to strengthen
his legal position. Young’s concert
tour put $75,000 in his fund to pay
lawyers. Oil isn’t the only thing
being extracted here.
By the end of the tour Sunday,
Young and Adam conceded they
weren’t trying to shut the Athabasca
oilsands down, just start a dialogue.
Thanks to uncritical media coverage, there will no doubt be discussions at dinner tables and in classrooms all over the world about the
terrible Alberta tar sands and the
cancer they don’t actually cause.
Tom Fletcher is legislature reporter
and columnist for Black Press. Twitter: @tomfletcherbc Email: tfletcher@
blackpress.ca

We asked: To what do you attribute our rather dry winter to this year,
God, good luck or global warming?

Other.
Unknown factors that have yet
to be discovered.

Global warming.
And El Niño.

Good luck.
When I watch the news on
the weather back east, this is
heaven.

Good luck.
Because we haven't had much
snow, and we don't have to
shovel the rain.

“Your Sooke Specialist”
Sooke Real Estate

Judy Planes
Sooke

Louise Warner
Sooke

letters

Time for
openness
I believe it’s time for
an open discussion on
mental health in this
community. How can
we help an individual
who exhibits manic
behavior publicly but
cannot see that she
has a problem? Nor can
her family, who blame
it on stress. Denial is
one of the symptoms of
alcoholism; it is also a
symptom of mental illness? Contributing to
the denial is the stigma
of mental illness.
Years ago, when I
first began outpatient
therapy and educational sessions at Eric
Martin Pavilion, I would
get off the bus one
stop early and sneak
in the back entrance.
I was totally ashamed
of having been diagnosed with two mental illnesses; clinical
(chronic) depression
and borderline personality disorder.
As I learned more
about my illnesses I
came to realize that
mental illness is not sinful, not something that
has to be hidden and
is not rare. I was told
by a psychiatrist (after
seeing four others) that
there are three chemicals in my brain that
aren’t functioning correctly. He prescribed
three different antidepressants that I take
daily. I will be taking
these for the rest of my
life. There are still emotional “down” times. I
handle them as best as
I can (read something
funny, turn on all the
lights, go for a walk,
etc.) I live as many in

Dean Rose
Sooke

recovery do, “A day at
a time.”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that you
can’t cope any more,
that there’s no point in
living, please see your
doctor. He/she will lead
you to whatever treatment you need. Mental
illness is serious, it can
be fatal.
Doreen Effa
Sooke

Inaccurate
info
released
I would like the public to understand that
the recent fire department news release
was never endorsed
by council. If it had
been then the information would have been
edited for accuracy.
The information was
not completely factual
and home insurance
rates will not be doubling anytime soon. It
was reckless and irresponsible to use scare
tactics to justify what I
see as a hiring agenda
by the chief.
I hope that a retraction and an apology by
the chief is in this issue
of the Sooke News Mirror. If not then I would
have to question why?
Herb Haldane
Sooke

Seniors
need a
centre

Some time ago I was
reading the local Sooke
News Mirror (May 8,
2013) edition and came
across a letter written
by V. Anderson pertaining to the once beautiful golf course on Otter
Point Road. Then I read
about seniors in need
of a drop-in centre for a
new home base.
I fully agree with
every senior in Sooke
that attends or tries to
attend the socials that
a permanent solution
is desperately needed
and long over due.
Both of my parents
were long time residents of Sooke and
enjoyed being involved
with the variety of
activities and bus trips
over the years.
If it wasn’t for our
“Sooke Seniors” where
would Sooke be now?
When I come to
Sooke now and see that
everything has been
provided for families,
children, teens and the
seniors still come up
short, I feel someone
should speak up.
This situation continues to upset me to see
seniors left on a back
burner while progress
continues to eat up all
the available land for
more housing, etc.
I enjoyed the lovely
walk past the golf
course with its beautifully textured lawns,
lush greens and the
social laughter coming from the golf club
house which was eventually named in honour
of John Phillips.
Now the land is an

eyesore, a disgrace to
the beautification of
Sooke.
My personal idea
would be to give or
loan (99 years) some
overdue respect to the
seniors of Sooke and
outlying areas by presenting them with a
completely renovated
or new building located
where the golf course
restaurant still stands
but is up for sale.
Why is it there is
money in the taxes for
everyone but not for
our seniors who keep
us connected to our
past?
I also am now a
senior and a long time
resident of Sooke when
I lived there and continue to visit old friends
and family. Respectfully
submitted,
Anne Jarvis
Victoria

Fire
protection
is a
necessity
In response to the fire
protection dilemma, it
might be worth pointing out that large areas
in “North Sooke” and
those along/off Gillespie were previously
part of East Sooke and
quite content to be
there.
However, in a landgrabbing annexation,
initiated by the former
council under Mayor
Janet Evans, these
areas became part

Jennifer Winia
Sooke

of Sooke in order to
increase the tax base
of the municipality. It
must be emphasized
that this happened
against the wishes and
without the consent
of those affected. Consequently, those same
residents were hit with
substantial property
tax increases without
getting anything in
return, except fire protection.
If the latter is now in
question, why should
anybody in these areas
continue to pay high
taxes to Sooke? If any
services are denied
to one section of the
population within the
same jurisdiction, this
amounts to nothing
less than discrimination and exploitation.
Furthermore, it is
the responsibility of
the current mayor and
council to provide a
sufficient number of
paid firefighters to protect the entire district,
instead of hoping for
volunteers to come forward.
Firefighters
are
required to be healthy
and fit to cope with the
hazards of the job, but
they cannot sit at home

Physical Fitness? - $29,900
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opportunity to make it your
career!
Curves is the world’s
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women lead healthier lives with
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Price reflects potential to grow
this established Curves Franchise.
Drive by 2-6631 Sooke Road or
call me for details 250-642-6056.

Cont’d on page 10

Letters
Deliver by mail
or hand to our
office, or e-mail
editor@sooke
newsmirror.com
Letters should
be 300 words
or less, and we
may edit for
length, tone and
accuracy. Please
include contact
information.

Cont’d from page 9
waiting to jump to a fire
at any moment’s notice,
they also deserve to be
employed in order to
make a living. Hence,
the District of Sooke is
financially responsible
to address this issue.

Gisela Kumar
Sooke

Avoidance
tactic?
I am a volunteer
with the Sooke Animal
Food & Rescue Society,
SAFARS, and was one of
the protestors on January 13, 2014. CTV had
covered a story on us
but after the last Council meeting on January
13, 2014 there was no
Britt Santowski photo
coverage about our Protestors were out on January 13 in front of the municipal hall in sooke. they
protest in your paper. want the district to help them with land for an animal shelter.
Is this due to the mayor’s clarification of “we
leased to us so that we
I believe that your publish the truth.
have no land for this
SAFARS volunteers are not using taxpayers
newspaper’s silence is
use?”
Is this due to the just an avoidance tac- work very hard to help money for our cause.
Jacqueline
mayor’s clarification on tic that could be chal- the unwanted animals
Lamoureux
December 9, 2013 that lenged by The Freedom and raise awareness.
Sooke
no land can become of Information Act. I We need your help. We
available for an animal am very disappointed are not asking for land
about your refusal to to be donated to us but
shelter?

Letters
Deliver by mail
or hand to our
office, or e-mail
editor@sooke
newsmirror.com
Letters should
be 300 words
or less, and we
may edit for
length, tone
and accuracy.
Please include
contact information (address and
phone number).
Contact information will not be
published.

SOOKE LIONS CLUB

HARD TIMES
DANCE

JANUARY 25, 2014
SOOKE COMMUNITY HALL
DOORS OPEN 8:00 PM
Live Band 9:00 PM

MUSIC BY PHOENIX
Wieners, Beans, and Bun included
Tickets on Sale at
Peoples Drug Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart
$5.00 Per Person.
Dress Code: Casual or Hard times Costume

Sooke News Mirror and Sooke Region Historical Society invite students
(including home-schoolers) resident in the region from East Sooke
Sooke Newsto
Mirror
and Sooke
Historical
Society invite students
Port Renfrew
to Region
enter an
essay competition.
(including home-schoolers) resident in the region from East Sooke
to Port Renfrew to enter an essay competition.

The Lure of Gold
In 1864 gold was discovered
the Sooke
in what became known as
TheinLure
of Hills
Gold

Leechtown. People from all over the world tried to make their fortunes
In 1864
goldthis
wasGold
discovered
in theisSooke
Hillsgold
in what
became
known as
during
Rush. What
it about
that is
so special?
Leechtown. People
from
all
over
the
world
tried
to
make
their
fortunes
How does it impact people and communities?
during
this
Gold
Rush.
What
is
it
about
gold
that
is
so
special?
Leechtown is celebrating its 150th anniversary in July 2014.
How does it impact people and communities?
$50.00 cash prizes (5) to be awarded by Sooke Lions Club for winning essays
Leechtown is celebrating its 150th anniversary in July 2014.
selected from each elementary grade—1,2,3,4,5
$50.00 cash prizes Essays
(5) to be
awarded
by Sooke
Club for winning essays
should
be from
50 to Lions
150 words
selected from each elementary grade—1,2,3,4,5
$75.00 cash prizes (3) to be awarded by Royal Canadian Legion Branch 54
Essays should be from 50 to 150 words
for winning essays selected from middle school grades 6,7,8
$75.00 cash prizes
(3) toshould
be awarded
by100
Royal
Canadian
Essays
be from
to 300
wordsLegion Branch 54
for winning essays selected from middle school grades 6,7,8
$100.00 (1) cash prize to be awarded by Sooke Community Association for a
Essays should be from 100 to 300 words
winning high school grade level student entry selected
$100.00 (1) cash prize
to should
be awarded
by Sooke
Essays
be from
300 toCommunity
400 words Association for a
winning high school grade level student entry selected
Vancouver Island Placer Mining Association is offering special awards
Essays should be from 300 to 400 words
LEECHTOWN 150TH CENTENNIAL AWARDS BY VIPMA
Vancouver Island Placer Mining Association is offering special awards
$100.00 award to selected elementary level essay
LEECHTOWN 150TH CENTENNIAL AWARDS BY VIPMA
$100.00 award to selected middle school level essay
$100.00 award to selected elementary level essay
$200.00 award to selected high school level essay
$100.00 award to selected middle school level essay
Awards Presentations at Sooke Region Museum Open House June 22nd
$200.00 award to selected high school level essay
Deliver entries to the Museum or the Mirror—Queries? 250-642-6351
Awards Presentations at Sooke Region Museum Open House June 22nd
…………………………………………………...…………………………………………………….
Deliver entries to the Museum or the Mirror—Queries? 250-642-6351
Leechtown Essay entry form—clip and attach to your entry
…………………………………………………...…………………………………………………….
Leechtown Essay entry form—clip and attach to your entry
Name ______________________________________ Phone _____________

nity Hall from 7:30 to
9:30 p.m.
The evening promises to be a fun filled
boogie dancing/listening to the tunes of Patrick and Patricia De
Gabrielle.
They are a multiinstrumental and vocal
Celtic/Folk/World duo.
The wide range of
instruments they play
include Celtic harp,
mandolins, whistles,
the fiddle, bass peddles,
classic/acoustic guitar,
bodhran, castanets and
that’s not all. Both have
backgrounds in theatre
and they have been
performing together
both around Canada
and the internationally
for over 15 years. Their
repertoire includes
Latin, classical, jazz,
flamenco, blues, gypsy
and of course many
styles of Celtic music.
Patricia De Gabrielle is a Celtic harpist,
bodhran player and
vocalist, and has been
a performer for many
years. She has also

File photo

Celtic Reflections will be performing for a Robbie Burns Night at the Shirley
Community Hall on Saturday.
been involved in theate, musical theater and
drama. Patricia brings a
unique warm quality to
the stage, and her passion for singing a sweet,
Irish ballad will bring a
tear to your eye. She
sometimes plays zills,
or castanets for the

livelier numbers, and
has composed some
beautiful songs. Patricia is a skilled actress
and comedienne with
a spontaneous wit as
sharp as a razor.
When she and Patrick
met and began playing
music together, there

Profiles in a community
ing her Masters degree
in music all the while
she was raising her two
children. She was both
a student and admirer
of the master violinist
Norman Nelson during
that time. As Norman
and his wife Jean subsequently relocated to
Sooke to lead as conductor of the Sooke
Philharmonic Orchestra, she felt with his
invitation, she should
consider the option as

well.
Anne concedes she
is working at full capacity sharing with her
students her love of
music and the discipline and commitment
it requires. She recognizes that music is
the perfect venue for
children to learn life
skills while they enjoy
performing and learning the art of making
music.

Submitted photo

Anne McDougall, violinist with the Sooke
Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra Society
will be featuring their
musicians and choir
singers throughout the
year.
There are some persons in our community
that are not only very
hardworking but highly
talented as well.
Anne McDougall, a
violinist with years of
professional experience with the Edmonton Symphony Orches-

tra, found her way to
Sooke three years ago.
She has since been
teaching violin as well
as becoming involved
with the Strings programme at Journey
Middle School. Anne
quickly connected with
the Sooke Philharmonic
Orchestra and now performs as the principal
violinist.
It was over a ten
year period that Anne
studied at the University of Alberta, receiv-

was a certain magical
quality to the blend
of instruments. From
the time they busked
together in Ireland to
playing music for many
weddings, house concerts, and other events,
they’ve created a musical journey with a very

BONNIE LAIRD - WOMAN IN RED TURTLENECK

As the Sooke News
Mirror reported early
last year, the Shirley
Hill Boogies were the
hot hopping dance
and music at the Shirley Hall 30 years ago,
and they were being
restarted. They started
off with one in February, then another in
September and another
in November. All were
great fun with awesome
local or regional musicians.
Now at the end of the
month, Saturday the
25th to be exact, they
will be having their
next boogie.
For the past 218
years, those with an
affinity for Robbie
Burns and his poetry,
have been celebrating
his life each year on his
birthday, January 25.
On this day in 2014,
the Shirley Hill Boogies
will also be celebrating
the bard with a concert/dance with Celtic
Reflections.
The event takes place
at the Shirley Commu-

www.sookenewsmirror.com
www.sookenewsmirror.com

special quality.
Patrick De Gabrielle
was born in Dublin Ireland. As the youngest
member of a theatrical
family, Patrick grew up
on the road, touring
from town to town, with
the Shannon Players,
one of the last traveling shows of its kind in
Ireland. He took up the
guitar at age 11 and has
earned a living playing
it ever since, playing
all styles of music and
is a registered teacher
for the Royal Conservatory of Music in Classical Guitar.
Now, he has come full
circle, home to where
his heart was all along,
beating to the pulse of
Celtic Music. Patrick is
a dynamic performer,
as well as being a very
skilled guitarist, vocalist, and composer. He
has the ability to capture the audience and
hold them spellbound
with his Irish charm,
clever wit, and fine
musicianship.
They also own and

• 11

operate a Bed and
Breakfast, called Tir Na
Nog, located near East
Sooke Regional Park,
where their guests may
be treated to a little live
music played just for
them.
Tickets are limited,
email to: boogies@briarmoon.ca.
Come out for our
opening boogie of 2014
with great Celtic music
for Robbie Burns’ Day.
The Shirley Community Hall is located
20 km NW of Sooke
on West Coast Road
at Sheringham Point
Road.
Who: Celtic Reflections
When: January 25
Where: Shirley Community Hall
Time: 7:30 to 9:30 p.m
Why: Robbie Burns
celebration
Tickets: Limited to 70,
boogies@briarmoon.ca.
Shirley Hill Boogies are
on Facebook.

VANCOUVER ISLAND’s premier juried art show

HOW
WILL
YOU
TAKE
PART?
2014 Kick-off Meeting
Potlatch Room, Sooke Harbour House
Thursday, January 30th • 7 pm
Everyone is welcome!

Starting now thru August long weekend. No arts experience is
needed to volunteer. All kinds of skills are essential – including pod
construction and painting, to making sandwiches for hungry workers,
to greeting, portering, hanging, taping, placing, serving, sharing and laughing.
Just bring a great attitude and come have fun with us.
We’ll find just the right place for you to shine!
Join the Sooke Fine Arts Society and receive 10% on all purchases in
the Gallery Shop, as well as exciting member benefits throughout the year.

Again, for the Third Consecutive Year
#1 in Transaction Ends and #1 in Dollar Volume

Medical premiums
for all but low-income
B.C. residents go up
again with the start of a
new year.
The B.C. government is increasing its
Medical Services Plan
premiums for the fifth
straight year, by four
per cent across the
board. The Canadian
Taxpayers’ Federation
released its annual survey of tax and other
payroll deductions
Monday, calculating
that MSP premiums in
B.C. have risen 28 per
cent since 2010.
Effective Jan. 1, the
monthly health premium for a single person rises from $66.50 to
$69.25. In 2014, families

of two pay $125.50, up
from $120.50, and families of three or more
pay $138.50, up from
$133.00.
Many
full-time
employees have their
MSP premiums paid by
their employer. People
earning $30,000 or less
are eligible for reduced
premiums on a sliding
scale, with premiums
eliminated for those
earning $22,000 a year
or less.
The B.C. government
has used the increased
MSP revenues to offset
the long-term growth
of health care costs,
which are approaching
half of the total provincial budget.
Finance
Minister
Mike de Jong’s 2013
budget
projected
health spending to

increase 2.3 per cent in that unrealistic after going up for many peo- culates that maximum charged to those earnthe current fiscal year, years of increases of ple, despite a federal EI premiums will go up ing $52,500 or more,
2.7 per cent in the year more than five per cent. government pledge to $23 in 2014, totalling goes up $70 to $2,426.
Employers
match
The CTF reports that freeze EI premiums for $914 for the year.
beginning April 1 and
The
maximum employee CPP payonly 2.2 per cent the Canada Pension Plan three years.
In its New Year Tax employee Canada Pen- ments dollar for dollar.
following year. The gov- and Employment InsurPlan deduction,
report,
it calance5,
payments
are also
ernment’s
critics
called
Run Date:
Jan
24, Feb
7, 19, 22,
2014 Changes
Saanich
News
(7.33"sion
x 10.00")
Full Colour EOR#6233

L’S
L
O
R
E
H
T
F
O
IT’S END

Relief driver
needed for
seniors’ bus
For approximately
30 years, a seniors’
(over 50-years-of-age)
bus has been picking
up isolated and handicapped members and
transporting them to
events enabling them
to meet and socialize
with other people.
Donations from members, community clubs
and generous people
in the community have
helped them to keep
the bus running.
We take members to
Victoria and destinations up-Island. Every
Friday the bus goes
into a shopping centre
for shopping and lunch.
Tuesday and Thursday
is bingo and lunch at
the Seniors’ Drop-in
Centre, which is now
located at the Sooke
Community Hall on
Eustace Road. Special
trips are advertised in
the local paper under
“Coming Events.” The
last Sunday of the
month is “Supper Night
Out” at different restaurants. The bus also
transports residents of

Ayre Manor Lodge on
day trips.
Presently they have
only one driver, who
helps with organizing
trips, etc. Reg is great
and much appreciated,
but would like a relief
driver when he is not
available.
Most of the society’s executives have
been on the board for
a long time and need
help with new ideas
for trips, etc. We need
more members to join
the board and use the
bus for outings. It is an
18-passenger bus and is
wheelchair accessible.
The cost of running the
bus and maintaining
necessary repairs is not
covered by some trips.
If ridership does not
increase, it will not be
feasible for us to keep
the bus running.
For further information please call Iris Wilson at 250-642-6209 or
Kay Forde at 250-6424662.

Dairyland and Village Food Markets are both teaming up to donate money to local schools. We’re proud to offer a full range of high quality
Dairyland products and help our schools overcome funding shortages for activities and programs. Milk Money is a great fundraiser everyone can participate in! Sign up Now!

Dairyland and Village Food Markets are both teaming up to donate money to local schools. We’re proud to offer a full range of high quality
Dairyland products and help our schools overcome funding shortages for activities and programs. Milk Money is a great fundraiser everyone can participate in! Sign up Now!

Devil’s Potholes is
one of the earliest references we have found
to the fascinating rock
formations beyond the
falls in the upper Sooke
River, a location that
led to one man’s dream
of a destination resort.
It was in 1982 that residents became aware
of heightened traffic
and industrial activity
on Sooke River Road
leading to the property
rising above the deep
gorge cut in the mountainside by the torrents
of the Sooke River. The
Sooke River is among
the largest watersheds
on southern Vancouver
Island.
Since the 1930s the
rocky terrain had been
known as Deer Trail, a
name coined by thenowners, nature lovers
George and Sis Weiler. When Albert Yuen
acquired the property
he saw the potential
of the spectacular outcropping as the site for
a world class resort and

conference centre. It
was touted as a $50 million development that
would provide employment for 150.
A Victoria developer, Yuen had a penchant for appreciation
of beauty in nature
and also the practicality of re-cycling. An
example was recycling
of industrial equipment
and resources, and he
began amassing items
such as retired railway ties from the CNR
line and vats from the
closed down Labatt’s
Brewery in Victoria.
As time went on
and the initial funding
assistance from a government program was
completed, the resort
construction of stone
and old growth timber
was stalled. While his
plans for the dramatic
location drew the interest of architects and
investors from around
the world, it appeared
that a meeting of the
minds between Yuen
and potential investors
did not occur.
Many visitors were
drawn to the DEER
TRAIL site to witness
the partially-built enter-

SRHS/file photos

The original drawing for the development at the potholes, and on the right, what
is left on the site today.

prise which included a
stone cavern barbecue
large enough to roast
an ox. But in time,
deterioration of materials unprotected from
the weather led to concerns for safety.
In 2004, after a
series of changes in
plans and zoning, and
financing issues, the
property was acquired
by The Land Conservancy and the Capital
Regional District as
parkland, and the Yuen
dream came crashing
to an end. Partial dismantling of the lodge
structure followed and
today little remains but
stonework. The illustration accompanying

this column is from a
promotional leaflet; the
enterprise itself was
never completed to the
extent of this image.
For the curious sightseers of today – no, it
is not the ruins of an
old castle - but perhaps more accurately
the ruins of one man’s
dream.
Elida Peers,
Historian
Sooke Region
Museum

Another Christmas
come and gone. The
push for food banks
has somewhat ebbed
(although the need
continues year round).
Christmas credit card
bills are rolling in, along
with increases on MSP,
stamps, hydro and anything else you can think
of. Generally, we’re
financially tapped out.
Who dares to ask for
more?
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS), that’s who.
But the kicker is
this: they are not asking for money, food, or
any other form of stuff.
What they are looking
for is time.
Holly Hatch, BBBS’s
Development Coordinator, notes that there
are children living right
here in Sooke, children
(coined “Littles” at
BBBS) who are looking for a big brother
or a big sister (“Bigs”)
to provide mentorship
and companionship.
Littles often come
from
single-parent
families with limited
social exposure. With
incomes flatlining and
housing costs burgeoning, parents are
taking on more jobs.
This frequently means
they have less time to
spend at homes they
are struggling to pay
for, be it through rent
or through mortgage.
It’s not so much that
the children are living
in isolated locations,
said executive direc-

Little kids need father and mother role models in their lives.
tor Rhonda Brown,
but they are isolated in
their exposure to other
people in their community.
Ken Dobb, a single
father from Sooke who
utilizes the services
offered by BBBS, finds
tremendous value in
their program. He has
three children, two girls
(aged 12 and 10) and
a boy (aged 9), all of
whom are paired with
a Big.
His children have
been with BBBS for a
couple of years now,
and have benefitted
tremendously because
of it.
“It’s really improved
their attitude,” he
reflected in conversation. “They’re a lot happier now.”
Hatch offered the
stories of three children from Sooke who
are looking for a big
brother or sister.
One. There is a nineyear-old boy who has
been waiting for a year

now for a Big Brother.
He loves swimming,
soccer, hockey and
video games. He is
being raised by a single
mom and is being challenged with bullying
at school. There is no
father in his life.
Two. There are
also seven-year-old
twins – one boy, one
girl – waiting for a Big
Brother and Big Sister. They have many
interests they would
like to explore but are
being raised by a single
mother and don’t have
any other family on the
West Coast. Neither of
these kids have their
father in their lives.
Three. There are also
two sisters in Sooke
who share a Big Sister
because of the lack of
volunteers in Sooke.
This Big Sister drives

File photo

from the Westshore
each week and goes out
with one of the sisters
one week and the other
the next week. Their
favourite activity is baking but they’ve been to
hockey games together,
they play board games
and spend time outdoors.
Victoria’s
BBBS
works closely with
EMCS, and pairs students from the high
school with those from
Saseenos elementary.
But, as Brown points
out, they also need
community mentors
— Bigs that are 19 and
older, to work with Littles from throughout
Sooke.
The
application
process takes about
eight weeks. While the
screening does take
some time, BBBS wants

“They feel they get
way more out of it than
the child does,” said
Brown in conversation.
“Benefits to vulnerable
children are life saving.”
The good influence
of a Big can have a positive impact on a Little
for life.
The process involves
completing an application form (online), having a Criminal Record
Check done (at no cost
to you), submitting references, and completing the volunteer orientation. Brown said
they might be able to
complete some of the
process here in Sooke,

through EMCS. Once
approved, a Big has a
one-on-one interview
and is then matched
with a child.
By matching Bigs
and Littles, the social
isolation decreases,
especially for single
parents going it alone.
As Brown likes to say,
BBBS is “changing communities, one relationship at a time.”
Brown adds that one
is never too old to be
a Big. If you have time
on your hands and an
interest in helping a
child flourish, this program might be a good
fit for you.

• Proof of Age
• Proof of Residence
Student registration takes place at your local Neighbourhood school.
New FreNch ImmersIoN (Grade K or 1), register at:
École John Stubbs Memorial School
(parent information night is Jan. 14, 7:00 p.m. at the school)
École Millstream Elementary School
(parent information night is Jan. 15, 7:00 p.m. at the school)
École Poirier Elementary School
(parent information night is Jan. 16, 7:00 p.m. at the school)
Late FreNch ImmersIoN (Grade 6), register at:
École John Stubbs Memorial School
(parent information night is Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. at the school)
Please note - Registration for the Late French Immersion program
will take place Feb. 3 – 7, 2014 at John Stubbs Memorial School.
NatuRe KINdeRGaRteN (at Sangster Elementary School):
Parent Information sessions:
Wed., January 15, 6:30 p.m. at Sangster Elementary School
Sat., January 18, 10:00 a.m. at Sangster Elementary School
Nature Kindergarten applications will be accepted starting at 8:00 a.m., Mon.,
February 3 at Sangster Elementary School. Application forms will only be available at parent information sessions and after 8:00 a.m. on February 3.

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All the best modern features
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Ocean glimpses and easy
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Please Note: Registration after these dates will be subject to space availability
in each school.
Find your neighbourhood school online under the Catchment Area Maps
www.sd62.bc.ca

OPEN HOUSE Sunday Jan. 26
From 1pm to 3pm

2072 Solent Road N.

jacquithompson@shaw.ca

to ensure that those
who volunteer are
ready for the scope of
commitment required.
“We don’t want to
be one more person
who lets down a child,”
summed up Brown.
BBBS requests a
minimum commitment
of one year. As Hatch
states in correspondence, “The commitment time is 2-4 hours/
week, for one year.
Typically matches will
do community events,
sports, arts and crafts,
baking, or board games
together.”
Brown says the
rewards for the Bigs are
tremendous.

• 19

district Bus transportation: Any students requiring school bus transportation
to and from school next Fall must pre-register. Registration forms will be made
available at schools, the School Board Office on Jacklin Road and on our website.

call 250 886 8191

7x2
CanWest

20 •

www.sookenewsmirror.com

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Just one year ago,
the Sooke Region
Chamber of Commerce
was in danger of going
under. It was at a point
of near bankruptcy
and extreme measures
were required to bring
it back into the black,
says the current president.
“2013 was a year
when we had to do a
lot of damage control,” said 2014 chamber president Michael
Myikes.
He said there was a
lot of non-confidence
from the business
community and local
government. He said

the chamber was, at
that point, unable to
carry out its duties and
the organization was
“handicapped” and
there was the prospect
of shutting the doors
after 65 years.
The extraordinary
crisis was the catalyst
for major restructuring
and change.
The chamber began
to make the changes
which were necessary
for its survival. New
leadership and directors were appointed
with Randy Welters
stepping in as president. The chamber
negotiated a new
three-year Fee for Service Agreement with
the District of Sooke
enabling them to carry
on business. The chamber developed a fouryear strategic plan and
broke down some barriers and build some
bridges with the business community.
Positive things began
to happen for the chamber after their reorganization and restruc-

Pirjo Raits photo

Michael Nyikes.

turing. The chamber
began reporting to
council, they hired a
qualified staff person
as office administrator
and became more visible and active in the
business by regaining
their confidence.
Nyikes feels the
chamber has a role
to play in economic
development, conference and convention
management and promotion of the Sooke
region.
Other key portfolios
are a resident relocation plan, Newcomers

Club, Shop Local Plan
as well as a business
education series.
“2014 will represent
a whole lot of success,” stated Nyikes.
“2014 represents a year
where plans are put
into action, 2013 was
about planning.”
Nyikes wants the
plan they have in place
to be sustainable and
able to move forward
on its own.
Developing
revenue streams is one of
the plans Nyikes has
for the chamber. This
would involve gaining
access to money from
District of Sooke business licenses for economic development,
and introducing and
accessing a 2 per cent
hotel tax.
“This would go
towards promoting
community whether
through the chamber
or SRTA (Sooke Region
Tourism Association).
I’m hopeful we’re going
to be able to work
much, much more
closely with other orga-

nizations.”
He said many organizations are operating in
silos and they should
share resources, expertise, etc. as they are
all moving toward the
same goals anyway.
“We’re not winging
it anymore, we have
accountability
and
transparency. What
we need now is support and that will come
through our actions.”
He said support can
come from the business community seeing
the value of the chamber.
“I’m optimistic 2014
will see us receiving
support from the business community and
everyone else,” said
Nyikes. “It’s an action
year.”
Nyikes and his wife
Susan moved to Sooke
for the lifestyle and the
climate three-and-ahalf years ago. Having
grown up in Calgary
the Nyikes preferred
the warmer weather
and the West Coast provided just that. He said

January 28, 2004
Abalone saved in
dangerous operation
Months of investigative work culminated
in a wild finish and
the arrests of two men
accused of poaching
abalone in the Sooke
area.
On Jan. 16 between

File photo

2010: Work was winding down last Friday on the
extension of an electrical “duct bank” from Sooke
River Road to the Sooke River Bridge.
10 and 15 Fisheries and
Oceans Canada officers
apprehended a 39-yearold from Duncan and
a 43-year-old Victoria
man with bags containing 446 abalone at
an undisclosed location in the Sooke area.
The estimated street
value of the haul was
between $8,920 and
$20,070.

January 27, 1999
East Sooke’s News
Mirror readers mysteriously left without
weekly paper
As many as 200 copies of the Sooke News
Mirror went missing
Wednesday morning
shortly after they were
delivered to rural drop
boxes in East Sooke.
Sooke News Mir-

January 26, 1994
Owners responsible
for their dog’s actions
Sooke area residents
are being reminded to
keep their dogs locked
up in the wake of the
recent discovery of
three dogs feeding on a
deer in the Kemp Lake
area.
Dogs left to run loose
will chase whatever
they come across, putting deer and livestock
at risk, and the dogs’
owners are legally
responsible.
According to CRD
bylaw enforcement officer Miles Drew, 10 people from the Sooke area
were fined $100 each
in 1993 for failing to
control their dogs, and
some people had their
pets confiscated.

GENERAL MEETING

All welcome to this public meeting
New society in our area
Wed. Jan 29 -7:30 PM
Otter Point Fire Hall, 3727 Otter Point Road
Make change happen: more public green
space for conservation and recreation.
www.jdflandtrust.ca

2039 BOTTLE
Idlemore , Sooke
SOOKE
DEPOT
The Animal Control
office had 13 calls in
1993 from the Sooke
area in connection with
dogs harassing livestock, a light drop from
1992. Dog-at-large calls
totalled 145, 117 dogs
were impounded.

✂

January 28, 2009
A room at John Muir
elementary buzzed
last Tuesday morning
with pre-schoolers and
their parents having a
great time.
School District No. 62
Superintendent Brian
Fox was one of several folks on hand for
the official Sooke kickoff of a program called
“Strong Start.”
Strong Start BC is a
free drop-in early learning program for preschool-aged children
accompanied by a parent or caregiver.
“It’s all part of the initiative by the Ministry
of Education,” said Fox.
“We think long term it’s
going to be very, very
good.”
(Strong Start is still
being offered. See
http://www.sd62.bc.ca/
Programs/EarlyLearning/StrongStart.aspx
for information)

Juan de Fuca Community Land Trust

250-216-6315
250-744-8906

✂

ror delivery person
Louise Paterson said
it appears someone
picked up stacks of
newspapers she had
delivered to the 16 drop
boxes along her route.
Paterson noticed the
papers were gone on
her return trip, which
was within an hour after
they were dropped off.
Sooke News Mirror
publisher Rod Sluggett
said the situation was
upsetting because of
the time, effort and cost
that goes into producing and distributing the
newspaper.

feel like I’m being purposeful in a community
I love.”

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LookiNg Back
A look back at what
made the news in years
past.

Sooke hit all of their
check points.
“There’s something
about Sooke,” he said.
“Personally I hope to

✂

President
speaks
of Sooke
Region
Chamber of
Commerce’s
plans

• 21

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Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at 9:00 am
This schedule is subject to change.
Please call 250-642-1634 to confirm meetings.
Council meeting agendas may be viewed at www.sooke.ca
WHAT’S NEW AT THE DISTRICTCHECK IT OUT! At www.sooke.ca

22 •

www.sookenewsmirror.com

Wednesday, JANUARY 22, 2014 - SOOKE NEWS MIRROR

Application to Participate in National Energy Board Public Hearing for
Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC
Trans Mountain Expansion Project
The National Energy Board (NEB) has received an application from Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC for approval to construct and operate the
Trans Mountain Expansion Project (Project).
Description of The Project
The Project would expand the existing Trans Mountain pipeline system located between Edmonton, AB and Burnaby, BC. It would include
approximately 987 km of new pipeline, new and modified facilities, such as pump stations and tanks, and the reactivation of 193 km of
existing pipeline. There would also be an expansion of the Westridge Marine Terminal.
New pipeline segments would be added between
Edmonton to Hinton, AB, Hargreaves, BC to
Darfield, BC and Black Pines, BC to Burnaby, BC.
Reactivation of existing pipeline segments would
occur between Hinton, AB to Hargreaves, BC and
Darfield to Black Pines, BC.
The application can be found on the NEB website.
Participation in NEB Hearing
The NEB will determine if the application is
complete and if so, it will hold a public hearing.
Those who wish to participate in the NEB hearing
must apply to participate. Applicants must
clearly describe their interest in relation to the
List of Issues for the hearing, which is on the
NEB website and included in the application to
participate. Those who are directly affected by the
proposed project will be allowed to participate in
the hearing and those with relevant information or
expertise may be allowed to participate.
The application to participate is on the NEB’s website at:
www.neb-one.gc.ca
select Major Applications and Projects then
Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC - Trans Mountain Expansion
Applications to participate in the NEB Hearing are due on or before noon on 12 February 2014. Individuals and groups applying
to participate must provide enough information for the NEB to decide whether participant status should be granted.
Trans Mountain ULC has until 19 February 2014 to provide the NEB with comments on Applications to Participate and must provide a
copy of its comments to those applicants to whom the comments apply. Applicants who received comments from Trans Mountain ULC
about their Application to Participate have until 4 March 2014 to send the Board your response to Trans Mountain’s comments.
Comments and Responses should be sent to the Secretary of the Board: www.neb-one.gc.ca, select Regulatory Documents then
Submit Documents.
CONTACTS
Information on NEB hearing processes and participant funding is available at www.neb-one.gc.ca > Major Applications and Projects >
Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC - Trans Mountain Expansion.
If you require additional information, the NEB has appointed Ms. Reny Chakkalakal as a Process Advisor to provide assistance.
Ms. Reny Chakkalakal
Process Advisor, NEB
E-mail: TransMountainPipeline.Hearing@neb-one.gc.ca
Telephone (toll free): 1-800-899-1265

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SOOKENEWS

MIRROR

FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

FAMILY ANNOUNCEMENTS

DEATHS

DEATHS

SCOTT:
Mr. Dennis George Caldwell
1944 - 2014
Dennis Scott, loving husband, irreplaceable partner and best
friend of Betty Anne passed away peacefully January 19 with
family at his side.
Dennis was born in Southern Alberta, the only child of
George and Afton Scott.
The strong lure of the West Coast motivated Dennis to
move his young family to North Vancouver. Dennis had an
overwhelming love of the ocean and boats - he shared both
with his family exploring the beautiful Gulf Islands, San Juan
Islands and Desolation Sound in particular. In 2001, Dennis
and Betty relocated to the beautiful community of Sooke to
enjoy retirement.
When his family was young, Dennis spent years as a sales
representative for various electronic companies and carried on
with his sales career selling real estate right into his retirement.
He touched the lives of many and will be enormously missed by
those who knew him.
He is survived by his wife; three sons Ken (Allison), Sheldon
(Marie) and Sherman (Carolyn); grandchildren Ashley, Caitlin,
Matthew, Jason, Jenna and baby Samantha; his mother; many
friends; his in laws - Ellen and Sid with whom he was very
close. He loved them all dearly. Dennis was predeceased by
his father.
There will be a celebration of life in honor of Dennis at 2:00
pm, Saturday, January 25th at the St. John’s Baptist Church, 537
Glencairn Lane, Colwood, BC. Pastor Steve Buhr officiating.
A reception will follow ajdacent the Church.

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THE SOOKE NEWS Mirror
cautions readers about sending money to obtain information about any employment
opportunities

TURN YOUR REFUND into a
Donation to the Sooke Food
Bank at the Sooke Bottle Depot. Also accepting cash and
non perishable food items.

AUCTION SALE
Notice is hereby given by
West Coast Super
Storage Ltd, 3220 Otter
Point Rd, Sooke, BC,
V9Z 0K8 that the
following item(s) will be
open for bids between
9am-12pm on February
1st, 2014 on the
premises to cover costs
incurred. Only CASH
accepted.

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Andy Wickheim
Memories
Memories of a time gone by
Where we climbed a mountain
oh so high...
to let you fly side by side
so that we could say Good-Bye.
Memories do not make us cry
as we smile when we look up high

EDUCATION/TRADE SCHOOLS

MEDICAL/DENTAL
Registered Nurses
Bayshore Home Health
Bayshore Home Health is
currently seeking Registered
Nurses to support our Pediatric/Adolescent clients for
home care in the Victoria/Duncan areas. Pediatric experience is an asset.
We do offer client specific
training and support as
required. If you are an RN
and enjoy working with children, we would love to hear
from you.
Employee Beneﬁt
Package available.
Interested individuals are
encouraged to Fax resume
to our Burnaby ofﬁce:
1-866-686-7435 or
Email:pedsvancouver@
bayshore.ca

A MEMORIAL will be held:
Sooke Community Centre
2037 Shields Rd. [opposite Mom’s Cafe]
FRIDAY January 24, 2014 at 2pm.

TRAVEL

LEGALS

SOOKE GARDEN CLUB
MEETING

Forever in our Memories.

Billy passed away in the arms of his
loving wife Tina [23 yrs.]. He will be so
missed, by all his family and friends. A
special thank you to all our dear friends
at the Kingdom Hall, for your loving
support and kindness.

PINHEADS Bowling on Silver Star
Mountain is looking for a mechanically minded individual to work with
us during the winter season as well
as June and July. This is a part time
position with great pay and benefits,
training provided. This could be a
great job for a retired mechanic or
trades person, or a younger person
who wants to live and work in a vibrant ski resort. This position is
available immediately. Please email
Heather
at
info@pinheadsbowling.ca

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS
A Public Hearing will be held in the Sooke Council Chambers at 2225 Otter Point Road,
Sooke, BC on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 7:00 pm to hear presentations on the
following proposed bylaw:
Bylaw No. 583, Zoning Amendment Bylaw (600-9)
The intent and purpose of Bylaw No. 583, Zoning Amendment Bylaw (600-9) is to allow
seven minor amendments, all administrative in nature to Bylaw No. 600, Sooke Zoning
Bylaw 2013. The amendments proposed are as follows:
1. Amend Section 3.2(d) to reference section 3.3 instead of section 3.2.
2. Amend Section 3.4(c) to reference section 3.32 instead of 3.35.
3. The CTC zone is referenced incorrectly in section 5.1. It should say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Town Centre
Mixed Useâ&#x20AC;?, not Town Centre Commercial.
4. The minimum lot width in the Rural Residential (RU4) zone should be 15 metres, not 30
metres.
5. The Small Lot Residential (R3) zone is missing a condition of use. As part of the
rezoning adoption for Nott Brook (2100 Otter Point Rd) in January 2013, a condition of use
was to be added to the R3 zone that said:

4x8
dist. of Sooke

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Notwithstanding the permitted uses on R3 zoned properties, on the property
identified as PID 000-133-817 (as Parcel A (DD 143706I), Section 24, Sooke District,
Except Plans 5572, 11961, 27456, 40462, VIP52601, VIP59223, VIP79955, VIP79956
and Part in Red on 610RW, an amenity area for assembly use is permitted as an
accessory use.â&#x20AC;?
6. The reference to â&#x20AC;&#x153;metresâ&#x20AC;? is missing from Section 202.5(a) when stating the
maximum height for a principal building and should be added.
7. Section 402.2(ff) should say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vehicle sales/rentalsâ&#x20AC;?, not just â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vehicle salesâ&#x20AC;?.

All persons who believe their interests in property are affected by these proposed bylaws
shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard or to present written submissions before
Council on the matters contained in the proposed bylaws at the above time and place. If
you are unable to attend the meeting, we ask that written submissions be provided prior
to the close of the public hearing. Please be advised that submissions to Council will
become part of the public record.

Copies of these proposed bylaws and relevant background documents may be inspected
at the offices of the District of Sooke Planning Department, 2205 Otter Point Road, Sooke,
BC, between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, commencing from the
date of this Notice.

Unlike the Vancouver Canucks’ coach John Tortorella (who stormed the Calgary Flames dressing
room with a bone to pick at the end of the first
period), and unlike the Calgary Flames team who
lined up a first line of enforcers, Sooke players and
coaches alike actually put Hockey day to good
use. Sportsmanship, clean competition, and fun
prevailed.
Captured in these images, here are scenes from
SEAPARC’s hockey activity on Saturday, January
18. Perhaps the NHL ought to visit us at SEAPARC
every now and then.

Top left: The Zone Girls.
Players from the South
Island peewee level
played on Saturday
in preparation for the
Provincials.
Top centre and right:
Two future hockey
players strut their stuff
on the ice during the
Lace-Them-Up segment
of ice time. Lace-Them
Up was a free event for
anyone interested in the
game. letting them gear
up and get a feel for the
game.
Bottom right: Midget
C1 goalie double-checks
his save in this 7-1 victory
over Juan de Fuca C1.
Other games played
on Saturday include
Peninsula
Eagles
against our Peewees
(loss, 1-5), and Midget
A battled Comox (loss,
5-9). On Sunday, Victoria Ice Hawks met our
Sooke Atoms (loss, 5-2),
and JdF fought our Peewees (win, 2-5).

The second Annual Gord Sleivert coaches’ game was well attended again
this year. The Sooke Minor Hockey coaches continued the tradition of supporting the community through this event. It was an exiting, fast-paced and
entertaining game! The final score was: Benchwarmers 12, Uncoachables 8.
The event raised over $2,200 and was made possible by the fans in attendance, the efforts of the volunteers, the organizers and sponsors. Special
thanks go to the coaches who played in the game and the on-ice officials who
volunteered their time.
Submitted by Donna Perman and Tara Mowat
Event Coordinators, SMHA

2014
File photo from a game earlier this year.

ney. The game was
point for point for the
duration. The Wolverines used a tough 122
press to cause turn
overs. With less than
a minute to play, Yates
drove to the hoop for
two and Sean Mckenzie hit a big three to
seal the victory. The
end result was a 72-66
score. First year player
Charlie Richardson was
the player of the game.
EMCS lost in the
finals, 47-65, to a tough
man-to-man press by
the AAAA team from
Alberni. The Armada
stayed mentally tough
and followed their
game plan.
The Sooke squad
took second place for
the second year in a
row.
Quinn Yates and Sean
Mckenzie were selected
as first team all-stars.
The team resumes
league play on Tuesday, January 21 at Parklands, and on Thursday night at home in a
game against Spectrum
at 7:30 p.m.
Submitted by
Trevor Bligh

The EMCS Wolverines won a big league
game on the night of
Thursday, January 17,
defeating the Reynolds
Roadrunners 76-73 at
home. That pushed the
team to 2-1 in South
Island AAA League
and a two-way tie for
first place. Forward
Quinn Yates played
huge on the glass with
22 rebounds and 14
points. Shooting guard
Sean Mckenzie had 17
points, and the entire
team played extremely
well.
Friday and Saturday
saw the Wolverines
take part in the Esquimalt Fire Tournament.
Again, EMCS drew
Reynolds in the first
round, and again EMCS
came out on top: this
time, it was a final score
of 56-48 in a great defensive game. Yates and
Mckenzie led all scores
with Jonah Phillip playing a huge role in the
victory. Quinn Yates
was named player of
the game.
Saturday morning
saw the Sooke boys
playing a tough Parklands squad from Sid-

Advertising space is
available for the 2014
Sooke to Port Renfrew
Visitors Guide
Contact Joan or Rod at
the Sooke News Mirror
250.642.5752 OR

Again, for the Third Consecutive Year
#1 in Transaction Ends and #1 in Dollar Volume

The Royal Canadian Legion Br. #54
Phone: 250-642-5913

Your Weekly Horoscope

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20
Aries, your tendency
to say what you feel can
come across as being
impolite. Many, however, appreciate your
honesty and unwillingness to mince words.
TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21
A loved one needs
some help, Taurus.
This week you will have
to figure out a way to
assist this person and
still tend to your own
pressing affairs.
GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, focus your
energy on someone
important. This may be
a friend, family member or even a romantic
partner. Brush up on
your relationship skills
in the meantime.

CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22
You have a natural
charm that immediately puts others at
ease, Cancer. If you are
wooing a client, they
will be putty in your
hands. Just open your
mouth, and you will
win them over.
LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, your stubbornness comes into play
this week, and it could
cause a rift with friends
or colleagues. Try to
see their point of view,
and put off any serious
disputes for another
time.
VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22
Virgo, spend a little
time this week plotting your next getaway.
You tend to be happiest when you’re on the
move and exploring.
Everyone needs an
escape now and then.
LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23
Enjoy some local culture this week, Libra.
Take in a concert, an
art show or a theater
performance.
Just

enjoy anything that will
educate and entertain
at the same time.
SCORPIO - Oct 24/
Nov 22
Scorpio, you may
find that someone you
thought was weak is
much stronger than
they appeared. This
person may not need
as much of your assistance as you initally
thought.
SAGITTARIUS - Nov
23/Dec 21
Sagittarius, analyze
any problems you may
have by breaking them
down into smaller
tasks. Then you can
tackle one thing at
a time and come to a
happy resolution.
CAPRICORN - Dec 22/
Jan 20
Capricorn, your children or the youngsters
in your life will be the
center of your universe
this week. Make the
most of this time and
enjoy kids’ carefree
natures.

General Meeting every 4th Tuesday, 7pm • Members and bona fide guests welcome

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/
Feb 18
This week may be
a little boring, Aquarius. Make the most of
your down time, as you
could use a few slow
days to recharge your
batteries and plan your
next move.
PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20
You are bubbling
with energy, Pisces.
Make the most of this
energy by exercising,
partying or taking a day
trip.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
JANUARY 26: Anita
Baker, Singer (56)
JANUARY 27: Mikhail
Baryshnikov,
Dancer (66)
JANUARY 28: Elijah
Wood, Actor (33)
JANUARY 29: Oprah
Winfrey, TV mogul
(60)
JANUARY 30: Christian
Bale, Actor (40)
JANUARY 31: Justin
Timberlake, Singer
(33)
FEBRUARY 1: Heather
Morris, Actress (27)

Robbie Burns Supper

Come celebrate the 255th
birthday of Scotland’s greatest poet with us. In support of the
Sooke Pipes & Drums.
Sunday, Jan 26, 2014 Doors open at 17 00 Dinner at 18 00
For a mere $35 you’ll get a roast beef and haggis dinner
along with some great entertainment. You will also be thrilled
by the live auction and the less action packed silent auction.

DROP IN POOL TOURNAMENT 2ND SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH
Are you interested in playing Mexican Train (Dominos) on Wednesday mornings?
Meet new friends and have a great time! Call the legion bar @ 250-642-5913 and
leave your name & number—we’ll get started in the new year.

 Slider of living room to rear and walk-on
Susan Dunn
Managing Broker

OPEN Sun 1-3

pebble beach

 Nothing to do here just move in!
remediated building

Completely

101-2015 SHIELDS ROAD

Survival
250-642-6480
Wild Bird Food

Submitted photo

William McCutcheon and Helena Merx with 200 coho salmon eggs from the Jack Brooks Hatchery. Sooke
Elementary Kindergarten will be raising the salmon to release into the Charters Creek in the spring. The school
partners with the Watership Foundation to bring these wonderful learning opportunity into classrooms.

www.sookeshometeam.com
9kg

WEEKLY TIDE TABLES

Day Time HT Time HT Time HT Time HT
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

06:35
07:05
07:41
08:26
09:17
01:19
01:48
02:21

9.2
9.2
9.5
9.8
10.2
7.2
7.5
7.9

14:05
15:11
16:14
17:11
18:03
02:51
04:16
06:29

5.2
4.6
3.6
3.0
2.3
7.2
7.2
6.9

19:02 6.2 23:12 5.6
21:56 6.2 23:21 6.2

2x4

10:11 10.5 18:51 1.6
11:06 10.8 19:36 1.3
12:03 10.5 20:18 1.3

Tides

TIMES ARE IN STANDARD TIME, HEIGHTS IN FEET

Residential/Commercial
and Bin Service.

SAVE
UP
SAVE
UP
TO
$35
TO
UP
SAVE
TO $35
SAVE
14
UP $35
TO $35
250-642-3646